As a young child I was very insecure, mainly because of my foot defect. I was humiliated and embarrassed for it by being called duck, penguin, and other demeaning names. It made me feel left out and isolated. Being the outcast and unable to hide my feet, affected my personal life because no one wanted to be my friend. It was not until I was 8 years old that a change happened in my life. That change was set in motion when I moved to Cypress, Texas and switched to the Cy-Fair School District. This move was crucial in my change because here I could have a fresh start and make a new name for myself.

My new life started when I met my best friend who is the reason I survived social isolation. He helped me by being friend in need. Someone who you can trust and know will understand when you come to them with a problem. Unfortunately no matter how hard I tried, I could not get rid of my humiliation. This is when I learned that some things never change. Society will always mock those who are different because they fear what they don’t understand. I was lucky enough to have one friend to help me survive.

I came to realize that I don’t want anyone else to feel isolated and left out. I started by becoming more approachable and open. I held my head up high and smiled at people to show I was friendly. I dressed with brighter colors and developed a positive attitude. In the end I not only helped people who were left out and outcasts, but I also helped myself by making more friends and grew more as a person. I grew more when I finally embraced my names and defect for what they were. I made those humiliating names my own and started to reap the advantages of my foot defect.

This experience changed my view on life. Life is going to always give everyone a challenge to overcome. Everyone eventually has to learn to accept life as it is.